Reaction of Nitric Oxide with Heme Proteins: Studies on Metmyoglobin, Opossum Methemoglobin, and Microperoxidase

Kinetic and EPR studies show that the first step in the reaction of NO with ferric myoglobin, opossum hemoglobin, and microperoxidase is the reversible formation of the H-NO complex: H + NO ⇋ H-NO (where H = Mb⁺, or Hb⁺ OP, or MP⁺). The NO-combination rates are markedly affected by the presence or absence of the distal histidine. The distal histidine significantly reduces the NO-combination rates, perhaps by interaction between the distal histidine and the ferric iron. Thus the β-chains of Hb⁺ OP and metmyoglobin show similar combination rates. In the absence of a distal histidine, the NO-combination rates in the α-chains of Hb⁺ OP are much faster and similar to those observed for the five-coordinate heme in microperoxidase. The loss of a water molecule from the six-coordination site is assumed to be the rate-limiting step.